No degree here, but I did loads of programming contests and solo projects when I was younger. A Google recruiter contacted me a year into my university studies and asked if I'd like to interview. I said yes and made it through. I'm hoping to finish off the degree in the next few years because I love learning.

I have a degree in economics and cs minor. At first it was hard to get interviews, but as time went on and I added more skills to my resume, and took more classes, the calls/emails started to come in.

In any first cs class, the professors should tell you that, when you go into software development, you are making a commitment to life-long learning. You never stop learning. Even when you become a professor!

Having said that, I recently got hired as a well-paid intern, but probably because I will be doing real coding for the organization. I will probably go to the local university to finish my degree in a year or two, if I can work a full time job and go to school. But, now that I will have real professional experience, I probably don't need it. It's more of an ego thing for me.

As with any language utilize any tools that suit your needs. CodeAcademy is good (they have a Ruby module). Find your favorite editor, I prefer Aquamacs, a GUI implementation of Emacs. It is an awesome free alternative to SublimeText, which is probably the best but costs money and no one really knows what's happening with future versions.

I haven't dived into Ruby, because I've been learning Python and Django in my spare time. That being said check out Ruby's framework "Ruby on Rails." Some of the Rails websites I've seen will make a graphic designer cry, they're so beautiful. For example, rapgenius.com is downright awesome. So good choice on languages, you will have no problem finding employment with those skill sets.

That's my problem right now. Since I have had real experience I have nothing to show for. It is still not too late to change my studies but I am already in my 3rd year and everyone advise against it because I will be add another 3 years and graduating late. Thoughts?

Honestly, it depends on the organization and who's hiring you. For some, recruiters your resume won't even make it into the next evaluation pile. I know because my buddy is an HR rep, who reviews thousands of applications. I met another web dev. turned recruiter who was self taught (only had an associates degree), so obviously he would place more emphasis on experience. He worked at GE capital, but I don't remember his name. He was kind of a dick, who thought he knew everything. However, he was very knowledgeable. That being said, get your portfolio, and resume together to accurately represent your skill set in an easily digestable format to HR and they will probably give you a job with the right key terms.

I have an AA in Farsi and an AA in Communications Applications Technology.

I got where I am (making six figures as a coder) by teaching myself php, making a cool tool with it in the Air Force and having my current boss see my stuff while I was in the air force.

I don't have to go "back" to school, although I am currently working on my AS in computer science and will transfer to a 4 year when that's finished. The only reason for this is if I has a BS, my boss can bill more for my time, and that translates into a raise for me.

I'm not in the Air Force anymore. I do, like all veterans that served on active duty after 9/11, qualify for ~$80k in free college that includes a monthly living allowance and a book allowance. I was actually a Farsi interpreter in the Air Force. We just had a need in my shop and I was able to meet it by learning php.

I'm in my 30s and just made the conversion with no real technical background. I attended a bootcamp (RefactorU in Boulder) and this gave me a portfolio strong enough to get interviews. I got myself ranked in the top 100 on CoderByte.com and this allowed me to pass technical interviews.

I just landed a software engineering role (none of that awful CSS stuff). In my case, they loved that I was not a typical engineer. I have a sales background and this allowed me to handle the cultural fit interviews well.

Being able to communicate my genuine enthusiasm and backing it up with problem solving skills are what I believe were the two biggest factors in making the successful transition.

I was born here. But in the sense that you care about, I started applying to startups in SF when I was in my last year of school. I took a job and moved to San Francisco and never actually got the degree finished, but since I was already employed I never went back and finished it. Now it's been a decade, and my experience counts more than my education anyway.

Good question! It's like this: if the question is more about college/university, it goes in /r/csmajors; if it's more about a job, it goes here; if it's in between, it can go in either one.

Examples of questions that can go in either would be, "Are college career fairs worth it?" or "What do you actually use from CS classes in real jobs?" or "Someone gave me this advice about getting an internship, is this right?" For more details, check out the rules.

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